Sharing Cities and SCIS energising EUSEW

20/06/2018

Cities have played a leading role in setting climate targets through the Covenant of Mayors. By enhancing predictability, these efforts have helped instil confidence among investors. At the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), the covenant hosted a session on strengthening links between cities and investors entitled ‘Energy union, smart cities and covenant of mayors: matching cities and finance’.

During this session, Bernadett Köteles-Degrendele, Sharing Cities communication and replication lead, facilitated matchmaking through a discussion on ‘How to replicate digital mobility islands, the role of cities and investors’. The discussion showcased replicable smart city solutions, helping cities, businesses and financiers identify cooperative projects to meet the clean energy agenda. Budapest, Umea and Seraing each delivered pitches on the subject. Matchmaking will continue in Sofia at the EIP SCC general assembly.

Replication was also on the agenda at the EUSEW session ‘How to make your city more liveable and climate friendly.’ There, as former replication task group lead of the light house cities, Mrs Köteles-Degrendele spoke about the incentives for and barriers to replication, highlighting the need for cities and the market to work together.

Through platforms like the Smart Cities Information System (SCIS), cities have many tools available to discover new solutions and potential partnerships.